All through high school, I was uh-bsessed with Duran Duran. And somewhere along the line, my tastes branched out from New Wave to the unfortunately labeled “hair bands.” Oh, I loved them all… Winger, Whitesnake, Warrant (why do they all begin with “W”?), Def Leppard, Slaughter, L.A. Guns, Bang Tango, Bon Jovi (Jersey, holla!)… you get the picture. But one of my favorites from that time was that other “W” band – you know, the one with the super hot Danish lead singer whose sculpted cheekbones clearly were carved by Michelangelo.

If it’s filming in Jersey, takes place in Jersey, or is about celebs from Jersey, you will find it here.

Chaz Brown: Hope he's good at juggling.

Jerseyans and reality shows go together like, well, peas and carrots. Case in point: A “Top Chef: Texas” contestant (who was eliminated in the qualifying rounds) from Voorhees will compete in Bravo’s latest food-based competition, “Around the World in 80 Plates,” beginning Wednesday, May 9. Chaz Brown, the chef de cuisine at New York’s Fatty Crab, will battle against 11 experienced cooks in culinary challenges across the globe. The show, which is hosted by Curtis Stone and Cat Cora, sounds like a combination of “Top Chef” and CBS’ “The Amazing Race.” Here’s hoping the French Culinary Institute grad never hears the unfortunate words, “I’m sorry to tell you, but you’ve been eliminated from the race.”

TGI Thursday! We’re almost there, folks. And it’s time for another edition of Only in Jersey!

If it’s filming in Jersey, takes place in Jersey, or is about celebs from Jersey, you will find it here.

Whitney Houston: Final farewell to be broadcast online.

Whitney Houston’s private funeral, which is scheduled for Saturday at Newark’sNew Hope Baptist Church, is expected to be a star-studded event. People reports that Whitney’s costar from “The Bodyguard,” Kevin Costner, will speak at the service, and her godmother, Aretha Franklin, and Stevie Wonder will perform. Others anticipated to attend include Whitney’s mentor Clive Davis and Oprah Winfrey, reports TMZ. Newark’s police are already preparing to keep fans and onlookers far, far away: The Star-Ledger says Newark’s finest will lock down streets within six square blocks of the church beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday (the funeral begins at noon). Fans hoping to catch glimpses of those in attendance will have a better chance by staying home, as The Associated Press confirms it will stream the service live online. And New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is responding to critics who say he should not have ordered the state’s flags fly at half-staff on Saturday in memory of the singer. “I am disturbed by people who believe that because her ultimate demise — and we don’t know what is the cause of her death yet — but because of her history of substance abuse that somehow she’s forfeited the good things that she did in her life,” The Associated Press quotes Christie as saying. “I just reject that on a human level.” Whitney, he added, deserves the honor as a “daughter of New Jersey.” “What I would say to everybody is there but for the grace of God go I,” he said. I couldn’t have put it better myself.

If it’s filming in Jersey, takes place in Jersey, or is about celebs from Jersey, you will find it here.

Yes, they do grow 'em like this in the Garden State./Photo credit EW

The very definition of "Sophie's Choice."/Photo credit EW

Forget about country boys – thank God for Jersey boys!

That’s what I’m sure millions of women will say when this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly hits the stands and they feast their eyes on Paul Wesley, star of The CW hit series “The Vampire Diaries.” Paul, who was born in New Brunswick and raised in Marlboro, graces the magazine with (depending on which one of three covers you pick) costars Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder. Paul’s character, Stefan Salvatore, the show’s resident “good” vampire, went rogue this season while his brother, Damon (Somerhalder), has taken over the hero vampire role. Don’t expect it to last.